


tie me down

by storiesfortravellers



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Bucky Loves Steve But Sometimes That Just Makes It Harder, Bucky's Recovery Takes a Long Time, Friendship, Gen, Implied Past Steve/Bucky, M/M, Understanding, safe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-28
Updated: 2014-07-28
Packaged: 2018-02-10 18:17:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2035158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/storiesfortravellers/pseuds/storiesfortravellers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Late at night, Bucky knocks on Bruce's door. </p><p>Friendship fic set after Winter Soldier, after Bucky moves into Avengers Tower and is struggling with who he is and who he was.</p>
            </blockquote>





	tie me down

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ashcat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ashcat/gifts).



Bucky pressed the buzzer outside Bruce’s door and waited. Without thinking, he prepared himself to reassure Bruce that everything was fine and that he wasn’t there to hurt Bruce.

When the door finally opened and Bruce stood there, hair disheveled and eyes half closed, barefoot and wearing blue flannel pajamas, he didn’t look like he was scared to see Bucky standing there. He looked… annoyed.

“You know it’s three in the morning, right?” Bruce said, rubbing his eyes.

“Sorry.”

A long pause, then Bruce sighed. “Can I help you with something?”

“Can I sleep in your room?” Bucky managed to get out.

Bruce looked at him. “Is everything all right?”

“Yeah. Steve made me promise not to leave the Tower without telling him. That guy’s really pushy by the way. Don’t know how you put up with him.”

“Yeah. You seem like the kind of guy to fold when someone is pushy.”

Bucky swallowed. “Staying in Steve’s quarters isn’t working out.” 

Bruce paused, then nodded and stepped aside to let Bucky in. Bucky thought of several possible excuses he could use when Bruce asked for further explanation, but Bruce didn’t ask. Bucky figured maybe he knew what it was like to live with the fear that at any moment you might become a weapon.

Bruce brought Bucky a pillow and some blankets then, and set them on the couch.

“Thanks,” Bucky said. 

“So… I’m sure you have the survival instincts not to wake me up in an… unusual way,” Bruce said softly.

Bucky nodded. “Even when I don’t know what’s happening, I’m good at sensing threats. It shouldn’t be an issue.”

“Okay. There’s lots of food in the kitchen, you can help yourself.”

“Thanks.”

Bruce left then and Bucky lay down, put his head on the pillow. He was in a locked room, where no one could get in, and where he wouldn’t be able to get out – it was completely Hulk-proof and only Bruce knew the combination to open the door. And he wasn’t capable of hurting Bruce, and even if he got confused, he’d probably have the good sense not to threaten the man. 

Bucky closed his eyes and tried to relax. For once, Bucky wasn’t scared of falling asleep (he wasn’t scared of waking up from a nightmare to find his metal hand wrapped around Steve’s neck, to hear Steve go on and on about how it was _no big deal_ that he almost just killed his best friend _again_ , to hear Steve yell, all hope and desperation, that Bucky was doing just fine and to please, please not leave, even as Bucky could barely breathe at the sight of the finger-shaped bruises on Steve’s neck).

The next thing he remembered was waking up to the smell of spices cooking in an iron pan, eggs frying and bread toasting. 

“Breakfast,” Bruce said sleepily, turning an egg over with a spatula.

“I slept through the night,” Bucky said, confused.

“Yeah, I was going to sleep through the night too, but this really old guy knocked on my door at three in the morning,” he said, smirking just a little. Unlike pretty much everyone else, Bruce never tried to play therapist to Bucky.

“I may be old, but I look young and terrific,” Bucky said, walking over toward the aromas of the kitchen. It felt kind of good to be a smartass again, he had to admit.

Bruce just grinned and told him to get a plate.


End file.
